How to Find Cheap Caribbean Vacation Packages
Decide how you want to travel., Decide what part of the Caribbean you would like to visit., Schedule your vacation according to the Caribbean seasons and carnivals., Look for Caribbean packages to countries that speak your language.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide how you want to travel.
There are Caribbean vacation packages available through cruise lines and flight and hotel combinations.
Airlines, travel aggregate sites, like Expedia, Cruise lines and Caribbean-only websites all offer vacation packages to the Caribbean, but they are separated into cruise and vacation package (air travel) sections. -
Step 2: Decide what part of the Caribbean you would like to visit.
There are usually considered to be 3 different regions to visit in the Caribbean.
The prices will usually be higher the farther that you travel away from your home country.
The Western Caribbean is also sometimes called the "Greater Antilles," and it includes Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Outside of the islands, it also includes the Eastern edges of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica that abut the Caribbean Sea.
The Eastern Caribbean region includes "Lesser Antilles," the eastern chain of Caribbean islands that run from Anguilla to Barbados.
Other well known Eastern Caribbean islands include the Turks & Caicos islands, Martinique, St.
Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Southern Caribbean region is usually regarded as the "ABC" islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
These islands sit just above the top portion of Venezuela, and the continent of South America.
These islands are part of the Lesser Antilles, but they are often separated from the Eastern Caribbean islands on cruise and vacation sites. , In general, the wet season is June through December, and the dry season is January through May.
Book your trip outside of peak travel times, in order to get the best deal on vacation packages.
Take note of carnival season in the Caribbean, which is the week-long celebration right before the Catholic observance of Lent.
Although the celebration is traditionally in February, some Caribbean islands have also scheduled their carnival to take place in May or June to encourage tourism.
These are peak travel times, and hotel and flight prices will be consistently higher.
Take note of hurricane season in the Caribbean, which usually takes place between June 1st and November 30th.
You are taking some risk when booking during the hurricane season, so check into the cancellation policies on your travel package.
You can often find better deals during hurricane season than you can at other times of the year.
You may find that prices spike during cold weather months in Europe and the United States.
Most Caribbean cruises take place during this time. , In general, France offers better deals to French Caribbean islands, and the UK offers better deals to British islands.
Although many of these islands are independent today, there are more flights from these countries to familiar islands.
The French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and the French half of St.
Martin, use the Euro.
Vacation packages to these islands from the United States or other North or South American countries are likely to be more expensive than trips to other countries that use the Eastern Caribbean dollar or other currencies.
The islands of St.
Barts, Anguilla and the Grenadines are considered getaway islands for celebrities, so they are usually more expensive as well. -
Step 3: Schedule your vacation according to the Caribbean seasons and carnivals.
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Step 4: Look for Caribbean packages to countries that speak your language.
Detailed Guide
There are Caribbean vacation packages available through cruise lines and flight and hotel combinations.
Airlines, travel aggregate sites, like Expedia, Cruise lines and Caribbean-only websites all offer vacation packages to the Caribbean, but they are separated into cruise and vacation package (air travel) sections.
There are usually considered to be 3 different regions to visit in the Caribbean.
The prices will usually be higher the farther that you travel away from your home country.
The Western Caribbean is also sometimes called the "Greater Antilles," and it includes Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Outside of the islands, it also includes the Eastern edges of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica that abut the Caribbean Sea.
The Eastern Caribbean region includes "Lesser Antilles," the eastern chain of Caribbean islands that run from Anguilla to Barbados.
Other well known Eastern Caribbean islands include the Turks & Caicos islands, Martinique, St.
Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Southern Caribbean region is usually regarded as the "ABC" islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
These islands sit just above the top portion of Venezuela, and the continent of South America.
These islands are part of the Lesser Antilles, but they are often separated from the Eastern Caribbean islands on cruise and vacation sites. , In general, the wet season is June through December, and the dry season is January through May.
Book your trip outside of peak travel times, in order to get the best deal on vacation packages.
Take note of carnival season in the Caribbean, which is the week-long celebration right before the Catholic observance of Lent.
Although the celebration is traditionally in February, some Caribbean islands have also scheduled their carnival to take place in May or June to encourage tourism.
These are peak travel times, and hotel and flight prices will be consistently higher.
Take note of hurricane season in the Caribbean, which usually takes place between June 1st and November 30th.
You are taking some risk when booking during the hurricane season, so check into the cancellation policies on your travel package.
You can often find better deals during hurricane season than you can at other times of the year.
You may find that prices spike during cold weather months in Europe and the United States.
Most Caribbean cruises take place during this time. , In general, France offers better deals to French Caribbean islands, and the UK offers better deals to British islands.
Although many of these islands are independent today, there are more flights from these countries to familiar islands.
The French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and the French half of St.
Martin, use the Euro.
Vacation packages to these islands from the United States or other North or South American countries are likely to be more expensive than trips to other countries that use the Eastern Caribbean dollar or other currencies.
The islands of St.
Barts, Anguilla and the Grenadines are considered getaway islands for celebrities, so they are usually more expensive as well.
About the Author
Steven Stewart
Brings years of experience writing about practical skills and related subjects.
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